For the approximately 630 enrolled students, those asked said that statement rings true for their unconventional college experience.
Students around campus sing the praises of the smaller student body and credit the smaller size with helping them to build stronger relationships with their fellow students.,”Anything and everything goes at Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, said junior Heather Purrazzo.
For the approximately 630 enrolled students, those asked said that statement rings true for their unconventional college experience.
Students around campus sing the praises of the smaller student body and credit the smaller size with helping them to build stronger relationships with their fellow students.
According to MIAD's Web site, the student faculty ratio is 15-to-1.
As Wisconsin's only college devoted exclusively to art and design, MIAD sits in the heart of Milwaukee's art district—the Historic Third Ward. The campus, which includes only one academic building and one residence hall, is framed by the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan.
"We don't really have a campus but we're more a part of the (Milwaukee) community," said Robert Lynch, interior architecture and design professor.
STUDENT LIFE
One of the popular student hangouts, the Student Union, sits directly across the street from the academic building and resembles more of an eclectic coffee shop than a traditional campus information hub.
Visitors are more likely to be greeted by Grateful Dead songs and student-generated abstract art than kiosks with sport and club information.
In 1997, the union went under a student-organized renovation and was redesigned by the Interior Architecture and Design department. The union acts as a gallery for student artwork and brings the students creativity to the foreground of campus, said Ricky Heldt, MIAD's associate director of campus life.
While other universities around the country are considering banning smoking, MIAD allows smoking in the Student Union.
Emily Marshall, a MIAD freshman who smokes, said she thinks that almost 80 percent of students smoke.
"It's a big social thing," Marshall said while grabbing a bite to eat and smoking inside the union with fellow students.
Marshall said she and her friends come inside the union to smoke and get some food when the weather is cold.
NIGHT LIFE
One of the biggest differences students cited between weekend nightlife at MIAD versus other Milwaukee colleges is the number of parties.
Brooklyn Henke, a junior painting major, said the party scene is different for students depending on their ages.
"Because I'm a junior and everyone is turning 21 and going to bars, the party scene is nonexistent," she said.
Even for students under 21, the party options are few.
"Sometimes we'll crash UWM parties too," Henke said.
Marquette parties and bars are not traditional hotspots for MIAD students looking to get off campus.
"I had a bad experience with some unwelcoming Marquette students when we came over there one weekend," Henke said.
Kyle Regan, a MIAD junior, said there are normally one or two, good parties on a weekend night.
"It all depends on who you know," Marshall said.
FASHION
Mallory Krug, a junior interior architecture and design major, said there is a big difference in fashion sense of design students and fine art students.
"The fine arts kids are very 'scary' and 'unique'. Nothing matches and they're very abstract," Krug said.
Homemade and industrial-looking accessories, Chuck Taylor shoes, knitted hats, colorful hair and mohawks are not out of the ordinary for this artistic student body. The Marquette uniform of North Face jackets and UGG boots are rarely seen at MIAD.
ACADEMICS
According to students, MIAD hosts gallery night once a month at local art galleries to showcase student work in local Milwaukee galleries. Vlada Mashkovich, a MIAD freshman, said gallery nights are very popular student events.
"They're normally on Friday or Saturday nights, and everyone comes out to see each other's work," Mashkovich said.
Regan, who is an out-of-state student, said he liked MIAD much more then other nationally accredited art schools like The Art Institute of Chicago or the Savannah College of Art and Design.
"(MIAD is) a lot less conceptual then other art schools. We don't push the shock value for thesis projects like the other schools," Regan said.
MIAD and Marquette students do cross academic paths cross occasionally through the Marquette and MIAD affiliation, which allows students to take classes at each school.
"You can always tell when you have Marquette students in your class because they look terrified," Krug said.
Click here for the last Campus to Campus article about Alverno College.
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